The author played the game "Kaizen: A Factory Story" during a 45-minute subway ride, which involves optimizing product assembly lines set in 1980s Japan. The gameplay includes solving puzzles to create items like binoculars and camcorders by connecting various components using gadgets and automating their functions. The author faced challenges in assembling a camcorder, particularly in integrating a tape deck, and found inspiration for a solution while walking to a bar. The game emphasizes the decline of handcrafted goods in mass production and celebrates the creativity of engineers behind the scenes.